General gameplay questions

[cab0oze]

New question - how the hell do I get my units to STAY PUT?!?
It makes land battles almost impossible, and space battles annoying. I'm trying to keep my units together, but the AI constantly spams me with light/fast attack units who get in close then run away. They don't pose a threat to the group, but inevitably one or two units will chase after them and get slaughtered unless I notice and I constantly mash the "S" key. It's like herding cats, and they are the most retarded cats of all time! Trying to carry out a two pronged attack is impossible, because inevitably one of the prongs will get themselves killed while I'm not watching.

Is there a fix or trick which prevents this idiotic "chase" behavior?

[Ordo]

Unfortunately no

[cab0oze]

Unfortunately no

Darn... so not something that can be modded out?

[Slyguy3129]

In regards to units that don't want to stay in line, both ground and space, my tactic is this: Select a unit, select it's target, immediately hit the "S" key. This orders the unit to stop, and prevents them from breaking formation, while still firing at the target you selected for it. Can be used in combination of Control+Left Click (to select all of that type on screen). Also, you can hold right click, and very slightly move the mouse in the direction you wish a unit to face, a green arrow will appear showing the direction. Great for when the enemy attempts to end run around your ISDs. Select the unit, right click where it already is, move the mouse slightly to the direction you wish it to face till the arrow appears, release right click. The unit will rotate, albeit at a slower pace. But better than it going off blindly in a random direction.

[cab0oze]

In regards to units that don't want to stay in line, both ground and space, my tactic is this: Select a unit, select it's target, immediately hit the "S" key. This orders the unit to stop, and prevents them from breaking formation, while still firing at the target you selected for it. Can be used in combination of Control+Left Click (to select all of that type on screen). Also, you can hold right click, and very slightly move the mouse in the direction you wish a unit to face, a green arrow will appear showing the direction. Great for when the enemy attempts to end run around your ISDs. Select the unit, right click where it already is, move the mouse slightly to the direction you wish it to face till the arrow appears, release right click. The unit will rotate, albeit at a slower pace. But better than it going off blindly in a random direction.

Good to know about that turn trick, but I'm well aware of hitting S. The point is it's impossible to keep them all in place, unless you keep selecting all, and mashing S constantly. It's really annoying, and inevitably smaller units (in space) or units off screen will always wander away from their group, and either get massacred, or at best way out of position leaving the rest of the group vulnerable. It is a horrible feature, I can't believe it got past the original testers...

[Slyguy3129]

They move on their own after you press "S"? I have never had that issue. Once I tell a space unit to stop, it stays put unless it conflicts with something. Just had a massive battle at Chandaar as the Empire against the Eraidu. I had a 60 fleet (with The tier 2 defensive Admiral) to their almost 80 fleet. But because I positioned my ships the way I did (smaller ships in front, and larger ships near the rear, but still able to fire) I was able to hold them off. No Golans, just my fleet and the Capital Shipyard it was defending. None of my ships moved once I positioned them. Formations are integral to my tactics, I can't imagine them doing what they want?!? Are you ordering Attack move? I think that makes them chase.

[tlmiller]

Really?  Your units stay put?  I've never seen that.  I've found that Frigates and most cruisers stop and stay, but capital ships I literally hit S constantly and they come to a stop and then immediately start moving again as soon if there's basically any enemy anywhere on the screen that isn't covered by fog of war.

[cab0oze]

Really?  Your units stay put?  I've never seen that.  I've found that Frigates and most cruisers stop and stay, but capital ships I literally hit S constantly and they come to a stop and then immediately start moving again as soon if there's basically any enemy anywhere on the screen that isn't covered by fog of war.

This!! Thank you for sharing, I was beginning to wonder if I was going crazy...

No matter what you do, they will always break formation to chase after enemies, despite being repeatedly told to stop. Really, this is something that should never have made it into the game. In Command and Conquer for example, units will never budge, unless you give them a specific task. This is MUCH easier to manage, and you can still select tasks like "guard' (where they will be aggressive with attackers to a certain extent) or you can put them on patrols, etc.